The present invention relates to an amphibious vehicle capable of powered travel on land and water. The present invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to an amphibious vehicle in which a user sits astride the vehicle in the manner of a motorcycle, jet ski, quad bike, or the like.
Amphibious vehicles capable of powered travel on both land and water are known. In a typical arrangement, a prime mover (such as an engine or electric motor) is arranged to provide drive to a marine propulsion unit to propel the vehicle on water and to provide drive to one or more road wheels for travel on land.
Because of the need to drive a marine propulsion unit and at least one road wheel, the power train of an amphibious vehicle is often more complex than that of a conventional road going vehicle or marine only craft. This can give rise to difficulties in designing a power train to be accommodated in the limited available space, whilst also ensuring that the weight distribution is satisfactory for both land and marine usage. This problem is particularly acute for smaller “sit-astride” type amphibious vehicles that are similar in form to motorcycles, jet skis, or quad bikes. Such vehicles tend to have narrower, taller bodywork that makes it difficult to accommodate a conventional amphibious vehicle power train.
There is a need, therefore, for an amphibious vehicle having an improved or alternative power train layout that can be more easily accommodated in a smaller or narrower space, particularly for a sit-astride type amphibious vehicle.